Onyx
by Working-On-Sanity
Summary: L is given another mass murder case - an entire clan, over a hundred people, were murdered in one evening. The only known survivor is Uchiha Sasuke, and not only does L have to use all his cunning to solve this case, he must now care for a child, as well.
1. Prologue

**ONYX**

**Summary: **Everyone knows that 'L' is the greatest detective known- which is why he is called on to solve another mass murder. The death of an entire clan, numbering well over a hundred people, were killed in one night, with only three survivors. Two of the survivor's locations are unknown- the third, is a boy named Uchiha Sasuke. Not only is L dealing with an another case that could possibly lead to 'Kira', but now, he is held back by an eight-year-old boy who's just beginning to learn the grief of being an orphan.**  
**

**A/N: **_One of my friends decided to give me a challenge- my task is to write a Death Note/Naruto crossover. I was searching for a good DN/Naruto fiction for inspiration, but then I decided to not read any at all, so maybe I could be original. But who knows, there might be a million fictions out there like this. But reading the summaries, I saw not one that really resembled this plot...I don't know. But once again, we have a mourning chibi Sasuke in my fiction- this is my first time writing any of the Death Note characters. L/Ryuga/Ryuzaki and Sasuke are the main characters- no LXSasuke pairing!_**  
**

* * *

"Konoha?"

L thoughtfully slid his forefinger between his chapped lips, digging his teeth into the nail with a sharp clicking sound. His questioning tone had not been because he was unaware that there was even a city in existence by the name of Konoha; neither was it because he was surprised that some inexcusable crime had been committed in that small, peaceful area.

It was because of the fact that every inch of the young man was deeply hoping that there would not be another widespread bout of deaths, all carried out by a silent person who seemed to have no guilt at all thrown to his shoulders as he murdered without second thought hundreds of human beings- Kira, the wordless, faceless killer.

"Yes, Ryuzaki-san," came the worried reply, "an entire family killed- not just a family of five- I should say clan! There were nearly one hundred and fifty people killed," Matsuda's expressive face was now clouded by anxiousness, not for himself, and what he could find himself faced with as part of L's team, but rather, for all the innocent lives that had been taken on someone's sadistic whim.

L listened attentively, continuing to chew on his fingernails as the extremity of the situation sank in. His panda-like eyes, rimmed by dark bags that could have been mistaken for bruises, slowly blinked as his intelligent mind began to list every possible motive for such a mass murder- which could and most certainly _would _be difficult. He would have to collect as much information as possible from his acquaintances before establishing a set idea.

"Matsuda-san?" he politely called the nervous man's attention to his question. "How were the victims put to death? Were there any survivors at all?" He hugged his knees to his chest, appearing very much like an abandoned child who was attempting to huddle in a corner for his protection.

"I was told from the chief that the investigation proved that every person had been killed by stab wounds. But how anyone could kill so many people in one evening with a knife is...hard to understand." Matsuda sheepishly lifted his hand to run his fingers through his dark hair, ruffling the short strands, as though he was embarrassed that he was unable to comprehend such a thing.

"And the survivors?" L made no further mention or inquiry about the cause of death, but Matsuda knew without doubt that the tired-looking detective was in a state of deep thought about the subject, merely asking other questions to add more certainty to his thinking.

"Well, what's strange is that only members of the Uchiha clan were massacred- no other ones were harmed. But as far as the clan goes, there seems to be three survivors, if we were researching the files correctly." He ticked the roles of each off on his fingers- "There was a teenager, around the age of thirteen or fourteen, who's disappeared without a trace at all. And an older gentleman, who has also been absent from the village of Konoha for several, several years- most everyone believes that he's dead. And the last one was a little child, only around eight years old- he was slightly injured, so he's in the hospital as of now."

"If the little one's injury was nothing serious, there must be another reason why he's in the hospital," L correctly deduced.

"You're right, as usual, Ryuzaki-san," Matsuda nodded. "All he had was a gash near his shoulder, but he had been found unconscious. I was told to go to the hospital and see if the boy was able to give us any information at all about the murderer, but he's either unbelievably distrusting, or he's truthfully drawn a complete blank. He told me that he couldn't remember anything that happened- he said that he was coming home from a student's meeting after school, and somebody that he apparently knew came behind him and rendered him unconscious- but you hear that story so often, it's become cliche." The man shrugged helplessly. "But anyone could have threatened him to keep quiet, even if he did know anything that could give us a lead on the killer. And if he was threatened by someone he knows, then it would be extremely hard to pry any information out of him."

"Hn...children can be difficult at times." L stared up at the white ceiling, as though he had forgotten that there was another being in the room. His ebony eyes traced the sphere-shaped globe of the light, the glow reflected in his round black orbs.

"Is there any chance that you could bring the boy here?" the detective wondered, extracting his finger from his mouth and absently reaching for a pen. Leaning over, holding the marker by its end, suspended by his nimble fingers- a precarious act of balancing- he non-too-quickly slashed several kanji characters over the smooth dark surface of the tabletop, not at all unsettled by marring his own furniture. Matsuda politely averted his gaze, not sure if he should read what L was writing with such vigor, or if he should attentively watch.

"Thank you very much for your report, Matsuda-san," L murmured distractedly, not yet finished scratching the kanji into the table. "If it's possible, though, I think that I may be able to retrieve information from the boy if someone could bring him here." His voice held no note of cockiness, only cold with fact. "Since he has met you already, it might be better for everyone if you brought him- this evening, if you could?" For the first time, he looked up, his expectant gaze delving into Matsuda's anxious glance.

"Um...I think I'd be able to. If I can get him to come with me- as I said, he wasn't very talkative, and he had absolutely no trust in me at all. But I think that he knew what I was after- it wasn't just a friendly visit, he was able to tell that I wanted something."

"Just tell him that Ryuzaki-san would like to see him," L said with an air of finality. "Thank you again for your kindness- I'll see you tonight, then." The brunet gave a short wave as Matsuda returned the gesture, nervously edging to the door and sliding out, closing it briskly behind him.

_Matsuda-san was not thrilled, _he noted, replacing the cap on his marker with a resonating snap. Tossing it carelessly, he stared down at what he had written as he listened to the writing utensil land with a soft clack against the floor.

_Tokyo's Akai Candy- Chupa Chups, bag of twenty. Children are apparently fond of sweets.

* * *

_

Sasuke couldn't look up. Several sets of dark, narrow eyes were fixed on him in expectancy, every gaze radiating their unaccustomed feelings toward children. Although a select few of the investigators had children of their own, they were not about to lavish affection on an eight year old boy who may have been involved with the concealment of the murders- anyone could have bribed him to keep silent about anything he knew. The child could have been retaining a small piece of information which could hold any amount of revelation about the murderer.

"Your name is Uchiha Sasuke, is that correct?" L removed the Chupa Chup from his mouth with a quiet pop, the round, lemon-flavored sucker obstructing his words. "I once knew a gentleman whose name was Sasuke- Shiroi Sasuke. But he was a child abuser," the detective informed. He suddenly jerked open a drawer in the oaken desk, noisily rummaging through the neatly-arranged files and stacks of scrawled-on paper.

"Here," he offered, leaning over the desk and nudging the slumping boy's forehead with a new, cellophane-wrapped cherry Chupa Chup. "You like suckers, don't you?"

As inexperienced as L was with children, he seemed to know what they liked. Whenever he made one of his frequent strolls to the candy shops, in his guise of "Ryuga", he always had difficulty entering the shop on account of the swamps of children who were dragging their parents in, begging loudly for a peppermint or a package of lozenges. If children were the main consumers, that obviously meant that they were fond of sugary substances, just like L himself was.

The boy shyly took the sucker from L's hand, glancing up at the man through his long veil of raven-black bangs. He quickly drew back as soon as the candy was in his possession, but made no move to twist off the square of cellophane. He clenched the stick of the Chupa Chup tightly in his chubby fist, returning his gaze to the lint-riddled carpeted floor.

"Now, Sasuke-chan," Yagami Soichiro spoke up with authority, "Ryuzaki-san only wants to speak with you. You could save hundreds of lives, if you could tell him anything that you know. If it makes you feel more comfortable," Soichiro directed his next words to L, "the rest of us can leave."

L nodded, his own tangled, uncombed bangs falling into his listless-looking eyes. "If the rest of the team is fine with leaving, I would prefer to interrogate Sasuke-chan alone." Sasuke quickly turned his head to watch the men file out of the apartment, suddenly unsure of whether he wished them to stay or if he would rather have them out of sight. The action, of course, did not go unnoticed by L.

"Sasuke-chan? Have you ever eaten a lollipop before?" The odd question was asked as soon as Soichiro closed the door behind him, and it made Sasuke tilt his head in confusion- had he not been escorted to the apartment building to answer the mens' questions about the mass murder? And now, this tall, too-thin man with the cold round eyes was asking him if he had ever before tasted of a _lollipop_!

"_Ano_...but I don't like sugary stuff," he mumbled, shyly sliding his free hand behind his thick, silky curtain of bangs to rub the side of his head, in a gesture that L supposed his mother had used to soothe him. He still kept his gaze locked on the ground, the detective's eyes seeming icy and searching- he couldn't stare into such glassy, emotionless eyes.

"Ah- that's fine, then. Would you like some tea, or maybe some chips? If you're hungry, it's always best to talk after you satisfy your appetite," L explained, with such easy confidence that Sasuke didn't deny the fact.

* * *

L was busily stacking cubes of sugar into a pyramid shape, every so often raising his fingers to his mouth, flicking out his tongue to rid the pads of his fingers of the tiny grains of white sweetness. His tower consisted of nearly three dozen sugar cubes, and as he placed the last cube on the top of the structure, began to remove them, de-constructing his pyramid, dropping the sugar cube by cube into his mug of slowly-cooling coffee.

"Have you had your fill?" he asked, lifting his gaze to observe the boy. An empty tumbler, the walls of which still bore stray drops of green tea, and a china saucer specked by crumbs of onigiri were situated in front of Sasuke, emptied not too long ago. Sasuke was now carefully watching L fill his coffee mug with sugar cubes to the point of overflowing, the sugar rapidly dissolving, leaving the man's beverage a tan-colored sludge, which bore an interesting semblance to mud.

"Since you must be feeling better, I want to ask you something." L didn't realize that Sasuke's grimace was one of nervousness, and therefore decided to ignore it. Although he was a registered genius, as well as being the most well-known detective, the brunet was terrible at reading emotions. That vice had come from his years of remaining solitary, never having enough self-esteem to attempt forging a friendship, preferring to sit alone, solving cases behind one of his numerous fake names, using whichever one would benefit the most. But the point was that, having been alone for so long, L had never become accustomed enough to people to be able to read their emotions.

"I was wondering, Sasuke-chan, if you had any sibling relations," he asked, lifting his ceramic mug of coffee to his lips, wolfishly consuming the mountain of sugar as though there was someone behind him, ready to snatch the cup from his hands before he finished. Had he kept a spoon on hand, it would have been quite easy for him to eat the sugar-loaded coffee in that manner, since now it contained the thickness of a sorbet.

"Does that mean an _aniki _or an _ane_?" the child wondered, in case he was about to give a wrong answer- L nodded in conformation.

"Oh...um, I had an _aniki_," Sasuke murmured the Japanese word for 'brother.' "But he's gone- no one knows where he went. I don't either," he hastened to add, in case L was ready to prepare a long barrage of questions to stab at him, waiting for him to slip up and reveal information he had tried to conceal.

L was ninety-percent certain that he was being told the truth.

"How old was your brother?" The man ran his index finger over the rim of his mug, removing the last grains of undissolved sugar before popping the digit into his mouth, closing his eyes as he savored the sweetness that fanned over his tongue.

"_Aniki _was fourteen," Sasuke answered, fidgeting in his chair. He swung his short legs beneath the table, extremely eager to be out of the glow L's attention. He loathed being asked all those curious, prodding questions- all he wanted, at the moment, was to crawl back into his bed, pushing his head beneath the pillow to imagine his suffocation. He wanted to close his eyes, listening to nothing but the shallow sound of his own breath being drawn- he only desired to be alone. He wasn't anti-social- at times, he enjoyed companionship, but now, after suddenly becoming an orphan, lacking the support of a family, he needed time to be solitary.

People have different methods of dealing with sorrow. Some prefer to dwell on the cause of sorrow, and loneliness gives them time to grieve. Some people need to cry about the matter, as keeping the emotions inside would only result in a mangled ruin of their personality.

And others hate to cry. Others would much rather run with their friends, making themselves laugh, stirring up innocent mischief just to rid their mind of the problem. All they want is to succeed in forgetting, but they never really can erase permanently the sadness.

Sasuke was the obviously the one who needed time and space to remember his family. He could have never raced back to Konoha to grab his best friend's hand, dragging him off to play in the park- that would make him feel as though he was forgetting his family. It would cause a stinging guilt in his young mind, making him believe that he himself thought that his family was not important enough for their death to bring tears to his onyx eyes.

"Fourteen...and you said that you are eight years old? That seems to be a considerable age gap," L commented idly. He hugged his knees to his chest, curling his toes over the edge of the chair, gaining further balance in his ever-used crouching position.

"Yes, sir." Sasuke's answer was always that simple phrase, whenever he could think of absolutely nothing to say. His trembling fidgets become more difficult to ignore- why was L slowly warming up to the subject of the murders? Why was he slowly building up on the matter, like he had with his sugar cube pyramid, instead of blurting out the question that was burning everyone's mind-

_What do you know? _

Sasuke quickly looked down at his chubby, soft white fingers, which still gripped the long plastic stick of the Chupa Chup that L had given to him. On impulse, he carefully undid the red cellophane, wincing at the noisy crackling, and stuffed the round sucker into his mouth, a rich, tart cherry flavor washing over his tongue. The lollipop made a bulge in his already-fat cheek as he braved the blatant sugary taste, letting his mouth suffer the displeasure- but even through the sickening amount of sweetness, was a gentle sourness that he craved.

"I thought you didn't like sweets," L spoke up, before taking careful note of Sasuke's expression- the boy's appearance startled him, even though normally, he was very slow to fright. The raven's cheeks were flushed red, his eyes tightly closed as fat drops of moisture beaded in the corners, slipping to his eyelashes as they made ready to roll down his jaw.

Sasuke was crying, the sucker blocking any ragged sobs that were building up in his throat. The very reason why he had finally placed the lollipop in his mouth- to silence any sounds of sorrow he might make.

_Whatever happens, don't let me make a sound.

* * *

_**A/N: **_It wasn't quite as disgustingly terrible as I thought. There will be some changes to the storylines, so it obviously will not be following either Naruto's or Death Note's plot. There will be no pairing except slight mentions of NaruXSasu._

_Even though anyone who has watched Naruto knows who murdered the Uchiha clan, it's still fun to write. L doesn't know yet, so let him figure it out!_

_I discovered that it's very difficult to write the thoughts and actions of geniuses. I mean, how can anyone figure out what's going on in L's head? So, L may seem out of character, and I apologize. _

_Once again, this is my first crossover, so if you don't like it now, it probably won't get any better. *grins* But if you liked it, please continue reading! Updates will likely be slow, as I'm working on like, a dozen other fictions at the moment. _

_Thanks!  
_


	2. Premature Maturity

**ONYX**

**Chapter Two:** Premature Maturity

**Summary: **Everyone knows that 'L' is the greatest detective known- which is why he is called on to solve another mass murder. The death of an entire clan, numbering well over a hundred people, were killed in one night, with only three survivors. Two of the survivor's locations are unknown- the third, is a boy named Uchiha Sasuke. Not only is L dealing with an another case that could possibly lead to 'Kira', but now, he is held back by an eight-year-old boy who's just beginning to learn the grief of being an orphan.

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry for taking so many months to write this thing! *bows repeatedly in apology* To be honest, I forgot about this for awhile, since I lost my love for Death Note after L-kun died... *grieves in dark corner* But I manned up. I AM OVER IT.

I apologize if it seems a lot different from the last chapter in terms of storyline, characterizations, and writing style - like I said, I last updated in January. I have matured. *gets a monocle, mustache and a British accent* I concur.

So, if you liked it before, too bad. I have lost many readers. I now curse you with chapter two of _Onyx_.

* * *

**ONYX**

**Chapter Two: **_Premature Maturity_

Sasuke closed his eyes tightly against the glare of early orange-colored sunlight that poured through the window, the warm threads of brightness pricking his eyelids in a gentle coaxing for him to awaken fully. The hum of summer insects further added to his annoyance; relenting, the boy struggled drowsily to push himself to a sitting position, lifting his hand to blearily touch his soft fingertips to the tape bandages that were wrapped snugly about his upper arm. In response to the pressure, the wound seemed to combust with pain, and Sasuke hurriedly drew his hand away, lowering it to rest on his shin.

"Good morning, Sasuke-chan," L greeted tonelessly; it was apparent that he was unaccustomed to directing his words toward children. But, to Sasuke's innocent mind, it was as though the detective was deliberately displaying a cold attitude.

The raven glanced away, focusing instead on the elaborate shelves of literature that lined one wall of L's apartment. The tomes bore complicated titles, many written with odd symbols that he could only guess the meaning of. Rows and rows of Latin textbooks, chemistry manuals - murder case mystery novels.

Sasuke slowly reclined, his back sinking into the thick pillow as he raised his small hand to press against his brow, blocking the sight of the nonfiction editions that provoked the unpleasant memories of the day before.

"Did you...sleep well?" L questioned stiffly, shifting awkwardly in his chair - inevitably in his characteristic pose, with his knees tucked to his chest as he wrapped his arm around his shins. Nervously, he raised the teacup to his lips, slowly sipping the hot, syrup-like beverage.

"Yes, sir, I did," Sasuke replied, his voice shy and just barely audible, overpowered by the rattling hum of the air conditioner.

In truth, his night had been an agonizing length of time; incommodious in any bed but the one he had been accustomed to, comfort had been the least of his problems - how was one expected to achieve the desirable state of rest, when his mind was plagued by constant images of frozen rain and silhouettes of corpses?

Feeling a swell of nausea blossoming in his midsection, the boy clenched his teeth roughly against the sickening sensation, tactfully clamping his palm over his curved stomach as his body tensed. Suffering the effects of hunger, in addition to having such gruesome pictures invading his thoughts, Sasuke was experiencing a considerable of illness - something that was much too blatant to escape L Lawliet's ever-empty gaze.

"After you eat, we're going back to the station," the brunette reported calmly, gesturing expansively to the china plate and cup that was arranged carefully at the empty seat - threads of vapor still wafted freely from the surface of the golden tea, painting a content scene of deliciousness that Sasuke coveted.

Fumblingly, the Uchiha extricated himself from the unforgiving folds and rumples of the quilt, clambering from the bed and sedately padding to the table. A small flicker appeared in his doe-like ebony eyes as he hoisted himself into the tall chair, surveying the meal in front of him with undeniable appetite.

"Thank you," he murmured self-consciously, seemingly ashamed of his eagerness. Keeping his motions in check, he silently reached for the chopsticks which were supplied in a canister, snapping them apart and gripping them primly. L watched Sasuke's table manners with amusement, realizing that his habits were much like the ones of a girl whom was minding her manners in hopes of gaining a male's attention.

Hungrily clicking his chopsticks into a sheet of boiled seaweed wrap, Sasuke poked the limp square of green into his mouth, his soft lips curving in a satisfied grin as he felt the heavy ache of hunger ebb away.

L imitated the small boy's expression, his own mouth widening in a pitying smile that hurt from being seldom used. He knew very little about the thoughts and psychology of children - he spent more time and attention on studying the minds of adults - but could they really be distracted from the relentlessness of life by a simple meal?

If that was true, then it would signify a large change in how closely he would be forced to observe Uchiha Sasuke's actions.

* * *

"Matsuda-san?" L lifted the sleek silver-colored cellular phone to his ear, pinching the top screen between his fingers and holding it awkwardly to the side of his face. Tota Matsuda's loud voice crackled incoherently through the speaker, giving Sasuke no hint as to what his reply may have been.

"Yes, I know," L answered curtly. "It would be, considering how large-scale the crime was... but I need a favor. Ask Yagami-san if he can send out an officer to accompany us to the dojo. I don't care who - I just need to go out without being recognized as a detective. Yes, he would be fine. Thank you," he concluded politely.

"We'll be leaving as soon as Yagami-san arrives." The elder directed those words to Sasuke, who idly stood with his hands clutched innocently behind his back. He slowly rocked to and fro on the chunky heels of his rain boots, his almond-shaped eyes fixed intently on L's round, marble-like orbs of black.

"An FBI official is sending out an officer to guide us to the Uchiha dojo, where the massacre took place - I'd like to look around a bit," the man stated, returning the focused gaze with startling force. Surprised, and somewhat embarrassed that he had been staring so, Sasuke quickly glanced away, feeling heat fluttering across his cheeks in the form of a blush.

"Everything has been investigated," the brunette continued calmly, "but I wouldn't mind checking it over to see for myself. Would you be too bothered by coming along?"

Despite L having made that last inquiry with concerned intention beneath the words, his flat tone very convincingly sounded taunting - deadpanned in a way that made it seem as if he were questioning Sasuke's courage.

The small raven stepped backwards, lowering his gaze as his brows knit with distaste. Alongside being somewhat offended, he was anxious - of course he didn't want to witness as the formal, stiff detectives wandered shamelessly about the mansion that had been his home! But his thoughts spiraled into despair as he realized that every possession he claimed was still hidden in the confines of his bedroom.

He missed his home terribly - he had only spent a single day under the care of L, but those hours seemed to stretch on endlessly. But surprisingly, rather than any other feature of the expansive dojo, he craved the scent of the interior of the architecture.

L's apartment was cluttered, yet organized, and smelled strongly of chocolate and mildew. In contrast, Sasuke's own room was brightly-lit, the pine floor strewn with blocks and plush animals, and sustained a sweet aroma of baby powder and furniture polish. This was so different from the environment he was accustomed to - the more he contemplated, the deeper the ache in his stomach buried itself.

* * *

"Yagami-san?" L murmured by way of greeting; stepping silently aside, he tugged the heavy door against his shoulder, allowing the detective entrance into his apartment. Yagami Soichiro paced in, a thick aura of professionalism surrounding him, along with a kind of confidence that Sasuke immediately detected.

"I've come to escort you to the scene," he informed briefly. "I needed the team to continue their investigation as long as possible without interruption. Tota-san was going to come, but since he seems to be infatuated with the little boy, I doubted his reliability with directions. That was his only reason for volunteering," he added. "Matsuda seems to have a weak spot for children."

Sasuke remembered the tall, awkwardly-handsome young man - the loud, prying one who had sat by his bedside during his short stay at the hospital. He hadn't particularly disliked Matsuda - he had been gentle, and careful with his speech, not to mention how ample his tender caresses had been.

L nodded, realizing that Soichiro's choice had been a wise one. "And I was wondering why he was so eager to be around Sasuke-chan." Shrugging into a gray windbreaker, the brunette sighed patiently, as though writing himself a mental note to kindly chide the novice detective for his trivial affections.

"Come on, Sasuke-chan," he prodded, coaxing the raven closer; quickly slipping a large, bulky jacket over Sasuke's thin shoulders, L shooed him out the door, Soichiro following close behind.

The lines in his face deepened as he watched Sasuke frown with confusion at the treatment, and something akin to irritation bubbled in his stomach as he saw how rashly the boy was interacted with. There was no trace of cruelness in L's motions or words, but he was especially hurried and forced with anything involving Sasuke, as if he was anticipating the end of the ordeal.

The man exhaled deeply; he was only reading too much into small gestures. It was only his sensitivity toward children that made him aware of these things - his own son, Raito, had been dear to him before his massive morphing into Kira.

And it was also a possibility that L had a purpose behind this, as well. Soichiro had long ago learned that L was a body not to be toyed with - his sharp mind and clever thoughts won over the average FBI agent's. At times, the detective's team pondered over whether or not such intelligence was to be coveted, or not.

* * *

The outskirts of the Uchiha property was buzzing with conversation; police officers swarmed the premises, their crisp uniforms rustling with their movement. Everywhere, lines of reflective yellow tape marked the scene off-limits to the passerby, the bold black letters reading clearly 'CRIME SCENE'.

Sasuke found himself clutching the hem of L's coat, his chubby fingers clinging desperately to the nylon material. A heightening sense of dread burrowed in his chest, and an unfamiliar panic racked his undersized body - like the young boy he was, he pressed the side of his face against the brunette's hip, wishing that the adults would remove him from the uncomfortable situation.

The dojo loomed ominously in the horizon, its peaked roof a shadowed arrow in the gray winter atmosphere. For the first time in his life, Sasuke was afraid to step over the threshold of his home. It had never seemed so brittle, ancient, or menacing to him - but the idea of the mansion being empty, without his family, made the sight that much more intolerable.

"Come on, now," L muttered, in what was an attempt at encouragement. He glanced down at the raven's face, grimacing at how desolate and fearful he appeared. Not desiring to suffer any amount of guilt, he continued to trek through the frozen snow, the sheet of muddy-white crunching noisily beneath his feet as he stepped closer toward the traditional double-doors of the house.

"Go with him," Soichiro nodded, nudging his glasses back up onto the square bridge of his nose. "We really need any help you can give us." His statement was nearly lost in the obnoxious humming of many simultaneous voices, but Sasuke reluctantly obeyed, disheartened at having been brushed aside in L's excitement to investigate.

"Let's go after him," the man suggested momentarily, and after a second of thought, he lowered his hand slightly, just enough for Sasuke to tuck his own small hand into the warm, nervous grip. He wouldn't object to any comforting touches, if L refused to acknowledge his need for solace.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Urg, urg, I made L so mean. He isn't really mean, he's just awkward with social situations. That, and I kind of forgot his personality. I haven't read _Death Note_ in forever.

Time to criticize: to me, this chapter was random and bounced around. I spent a whole day writing this, and it's so short... the scenes wouldn't work out right, and I kept ruining the paragraphs. IT BE A FAIL. But do not worry, tormented viewers - I shall nobly pursue the success of this fiction with fiery vigor and youth! *teeth sparkle*

It won't get better. I also didn't like the ending. But I'm studying psychology and crime investigation - I did research, so maybe it will include some realistic things. To clear this up: I like Matsuda. He's awesome. I also like Raito. He's a maniac, but then again, I like Sasuke... I think I like the mental characters. Their triumphant cackles get to me *wipes eyes with hankie*

Do no send me flames ~ why not try some cookies for this wretched starving writer? XD


	3. Building Blocks

**ONYX**

**Chapter Three: **Building Blocks

**Summary: **Everyone knows that 'L' is the greatest detective known- which is why he is called on to solve another mass murder. The death of an entire clan, numbering well over a hundred people, were killed in one night, with only three survivors. Two of the survivor's locations are unknown- the third, is a boy named Uchiha Sasuke. Not only is L dealing with an another case that could possibly lead to 'Kira', but now, he is held back by an eight-year-old boy who's just beginning to learn the grief of being an orphan.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Why, thanks to all you gorgeous people who have reviewed/favorited/added this to your alert list! Crossovers aren't as popular as regular fictions, so I'm pleased with this story's reception. This chapter of 'Onyx' will be shorter than others – I deleted it several times before finally writing something I liked. And even then it wasn't much. -.- I'm slowly shifting into a new writing style, hopefully one that will be simpler to read and easy on the eyes – that also had a bit to do with the shortness. Anywho, please appreciate the chapter!**

* * *

Sasuke couldn't help it. He was trembling. His entire body, from his fingertips to his knees, was quivering spasmodically, earning him numerous confused stares from the police officers who spared him a glance. He quickly ducked his head, gripping Soichiro's hand with a fierce desire for comfort.

Wordlessly, the tall man closed his rough fingers over Sasuke's, rubbing the callused pad of his thumb against the child's wrist. The gentle action elicited a choked sob from Sasuke's throat, the sound clogged as he bit back the tears that festered in the corners of his eyes.

"Don't let L see you cry anymore," Soichiro murmured. "We'll... just make sure that everything turns out okay. Now, wipe your eyes and keep quiet."

Awkwardly clearing his throat with a rumbling cough, Soichiro fumbled in his pocket for a handkerchief and wordlessly handed it to Sasuke. The raven silently accepted the linen, swabbing at his screwed-shut eyes fiercely as he was led toward the dark dojo. The door was still open from where L had stomped ahead, a slowly-building storm of aggravated genius.

* * *

As soon as they entered the damp-smelling building, Sasuke's senses were overpowered by the strong scent of mildew and dust. The interior of his home looked nothing like what he remembered from only two days before – every room was dark and closed off by long pieces of bright yellow tape.

He closed his teeth over his bottom lip to keep back a sob of helplessness, pressing his cheek against Soichiro's leg. Everything was so different and foreboding. His mother would always be in the kitchen, humming to herself as she concocted some untasted Japanese dish for her family to enjoy. Now the kitchen was empty and void of life. Long shadows stretched over the smudged linoleum and twisted over the counter tops.

His father would always been in his study office, bent over his desk and staring down at the complicated writing of his books. His rough-looking face would have been highlighted by the small lamp, revealing the loving glint that swept into his eyes whenever Sasuke meandered into the room. Now, the office was silent and dark. The desk chair stood regally, the leather worn and soft. It would always wait for the return of Uchiha Fugaku.

And Sasuke's brother – Itachi would always be in his room, lying on his bed while thumbing through a comic book. His dark hair would fall over his forehead where Sasuke had playfully pulled the strands from Itachi's ponytail, and his expression would be one of patience and care as he tolerated the constant sound effects that Sasuke made while playing with his stuffed animals. Now, the bedroom was clean and empty of any stuffed toys. The bed was made, and the curtains drawn.

"Sasuke-chan, show me where your parents slept," L suddenly ordered, his voice echoing in the silence of the dojo. "I want to check things out."

Soichiro nudged Sasuke's shoulder, and at the prodding, the small boy being startled from his thoughts by the contact, he blurted, "Yes, sir, through the hall."

* * *

His parents' room was the nicest in the dojo. The bed was enormous – big enough for the entire family to sleep in whenever Sasuke was roused from sleep by a violent thunderstorm. The curtains hid the sunlight, and a faint blue glow surrounded the gleaming oak dresser. The mirror was covered by a film of greasy substance. Sasuke was somewhat glad. He really didn't want to see what he looked like when he cried.

It felt odd, having L poking about. Those were things that only his mother's soft hands had touched, or his father's large, rough hands had held. It wasn't _right _for L's awkward, bony pale hands to be cautiously prodding at the books on the shelf, or inspecting the reading glasses that were nestled behind a box of tissues.

"Find anything?" Soichiro inquired in a strained tone.

L cocked his head, intently staring at the light fixture that was suspended from the ceiling. The sagging purple lines beneath his eyes seemed more pronounced in the dim, barely alive threads of sunshine that languidly crawled from between the slits in the window shades.

"Nothing," he stated flatly. "I don't see a single thing that's out of the ordinary. But," he mused, "it's the most common, trifle, most ordinary of things that usually give way to the solution."

Abruptly changing moods, as though he had never spoken, he directed his next command at Sasuke.

"Now, show me your room." He expectantly folded his lean arms over his flat chest, staring apprehensively at the raven. "I need to see your things."

Without answering, Sasuke trekked outside the room, silently leading the way down the darkened hallway. He had been praying that L would overlook his bedroom. It was bad enough to watch as the detective disturbed his parents' belongings, but now, he had to stand quietly and observe while L did the same to his own?

"Thank you." Not bothering to extend their interaction, L pushed by, opening the door with the strength not of a meek investigator, but that of an angry, seething adult. He didn't leave the entrance wide open so the others could follow him inside, and Soichiro had to quickly extend his leg so the door would hit the toe of his boot rather than close over Sasuke's fragile body.

The raven stared, and a sense of longing so extreme that it could have been compared to nausea exploded behind his forehead. He wanted to stay here. It didn't matter that everything was dull, lonesome, and slowly becoming dilapidated. He wanted to throw open the window drapes, clamber into his bed beneath the fleece blankets, and hug his stuffed dinosaur to his chest.

He ignored L's presence and marched past, feeling the ever-so-familiar tears festering in the corners of his eyes as he crouched near his toy box. Bright red Japanese symbols marched across the pine lid, cheerfully spelling out his name, and he hastily swiped the nonexistent layer of soft gray dust from the surface of the intricate characters.

Neither L nor Soichiro protested against it as he effortlessly tugged the lid open, the brass hinges creaking from well use. He paid no mind to the building blocks, multicolored marbles, or tiny plastic cars – impulsively, he closed his small hand around the fat leg of the treasured plush green dinosaur.

Letting the lid fall closed with a deafening slam, Sasuke dropped to a sitting position, fiercely clutching the toy as if he would never again be given the chance to touch its ratted green fur. If he screwed his eyes shut, he could pretend like nothing unusual had ever happened. He could pretend that he was sitting, waiting for Itachi to come engage in a round of mock wrestling with him. His mother was outside, clad in her apron as she puttered about the expansive herb garden. His father was in the kitchen, rummaging around for something to satisfy his appetite until dinner...

He dejectedly pressed his nose into the dinosaur's crooked neck, hiding the blush of sorrow that feathered over his round cheeks. Inhaling deeply, he realized those wonderful, soothing scents of everything he was familiar with were still embedded in the stuffed animal's hair.

He could smell the musty odor of Itachi's old comic books. The sweet smell of the red clay soil from the garden that would always cling to his mother's gloves. The scent of his father's minty aftershave.

It only served to intensify his grief. His family needed him, and they weren't there. He still needed to help his mother wash the dinner dishes. She hadn't told him to; standing next to her, obediently wiping away the soap suds from the silverware was something that he had grown accustomed to. He enjoyed being of help. If he stayed with L, he wouldn't be able to help her.

The silence was suddenly noticed, and both men acknowledged it in their own ways.

"Yagami-san," L commanded sternly. "Take Sasuke-chan out. He's in the way." A horrified look passed over Soichiro's angular features at the young detective's words, but he unwillingly complied.

"Come on, Sasuke-chan," he coaxed. "Let's go outside. We need to get you bundled back up," he added, attempting to lighten the mood by a strangely teasing-tone.

Sasuke peered up, the man's image frighteningly blurred and wavering though the film of tears that glazed his eyes. _Go? _He never wanted to go! He had to stay, where Itachi could find him. Itachi couldn't find him if he was hidden away in an apartment building that was blocks away.

Stubbornly, he embraced his dinosaur, his sulking attitude making itself known. "_No_," he retorted, turning his head and tucking his legs to his chest. Resting his chin on the shelf his knees made, he solidly settled himself on the rug and refused to subject himself to the order.

"I'm stayin'," he continued confidently. "I live here. Mama and Daddy was livin' here, too. They'll miss me if I'm gone too lon'. They won't know where I'm at, if I go back home wit' him." Accusingly shifting his gaze to rest on L's shoulder blades, his lower lip protruded in a spoiled pout.

It was quite something to behold. Sasuke's glare was one of such intensity that L unconsciously reached behind to idly rub his fingertips into his back, as if he was scratching a persistent tingle. It was obvious that he was waiting for Soichiro to lead Sasuke away, and it was also obvious that his patience was ebbing.

"Sasuke-chan, we're going. 'Mama' and 'Daddy' will know where you're at," Soichiro assured hurriedly. Not able to withstand another jibe from L, he scooped up the child with fluid anxiety and swiftly carried him from the room.

"Le' me down!" Sasuke cried, his hand outstretched in a futile attempt to grab the door frame. Soichiro gave no sign of compromise as he continued to depart further and further away, and only the comforting weight of his dinosaur proved to aid in lessening the number of betrayed tears that swept from beneath Sasuke's closed eyelids. His lashes glittering with moisture, he brutally crushed the toy's neck to his shoulder, letting himself whimper barely-audible words of apology to it.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oh dear! What is L turning into? He's such a snob. Soichiro is turning out to be a bit kinder than what I would have liked. He's supposed to be suspicious of children, for Pete's sake! His own son was a psychopath!**

**Oh, and did Sasuke actually speak in this chapter? After he gets motivated, he can be quite the little brat. I kind of want to make him seem like a brat, but you have to feel sorry for him at the same time. He doesn't know that his parents are gone, yet, but if he does, he's denying it in hopes that the situation will disappear.**

**I do study psychology, thank you very much. The brain is complex, and hey, I'm not getting paid for these fanfictions.**

**Well, I must say this chapter was somewhat rushed... it's two-thirty and I'm dog tired. I looked over it for mistakes the best I could, so if you see anything, please point it out! I should get a BETA reader... but it seems like too much trouble for such a little fiction.**


	4. Blood

**ONYX**

**Chapter**** Four: **Blood

**Summary: **Everyone knows that 'L' is the greatest detective known––which is exactly why he is called on to solve another mass murder. The death of an entire clan, numbering well over a hundred people, were killed in one night, with only three survivors. Two of the survivor's locations are unknown––the third is a boy named Uchiha Sasuke. Not only is L dealing with an another case that could possibly lead to 'Kira', but now, he is held back by an eight-year-old boy who is just beginning to learn the grief of being an orphan.

**Author's Note: **Ahahaha I forgot about this story people. Sorry. I tried to read _Death Note _over again and I got to the fiftieth chapter, but then I found some more _Pok__é__mon _manga so I read that. Then I kind of lost the mood for a murder/crime/mystery story. I think Sasuke is turning into a bigger wuss than I would have liked. Also, just for the record, the movie stars Kojitan and Musarina are _not _a pathetic shallow allusion to Kojiro and Musarina. Or as we Americans would call them... JESSIE AND JAMES. Not, mind you.

* * *

"Did you hear that, Kojitan?" the woman whispered frantically, curling her fingers into the ironed sleeve of her husband's jacket. Her eyes widened as the ominous rustling sound grew louder and more pronounced, clearly audible even through the pounding racket of music in the background.

"It's nothing, Musarina," the man assured, though his voice trembled slightly. He glanced suspiciously into the distance, his expression clouded by suppressed worry. Rather than allowing his anxiety to be noticeable, he comfortingly patted his wife's hand, but his movements were slowed and distracted.

It was at that moment that the wind chose to spit a strong gust over the midnight-shadowed park. Leaves skittered over the paved sidewalk, and the weather vane that stood lonesomely in the center of the community garden began to twirl wildly, creaking and groaning with effort.

The man swallowed nervously, and with a curt nod, urged his wife to follow him. The flat soles of his Oxford loafers and the pointed heels of her pumps clicked and smacked against the walkway, echoing eerily in the late evening. The icy wind plucked at their hair, pulling tauntingly at their coattails as they shoved against the gale.

Neither Kojitan nor Musarina noticed the figure that darted behind them. The stranger's own bulky jacket was bundled around him, and a battered felt hat rode low on his crown, shading his face and hiding his features from view. But though his face was covered by the darkness, the dimly flickering light of a single streetlamp sent a chilling glint glaring from the blade of the knife that he gripped tightly, squeezing its hilt to assure himself of its capability. He crept skillfully behind the man and woman, boasting the talent of an elite hitman as he brandished the knife above his head.

The instant he jerked the blade down, tearing through the shoulder of Kojitan's coat before he was even given the opportunity to yelp, the entire scene became engulfed in a relentless blackness.

L sighed in a display of boredom, his finger lingering on the protruding red button of the television remote control. His large eyes were glazed with a glassy film, and the purple lines that sagged beneath his eyelids seemed more enhanced in the soft orange glow of the nightlight.

"Why'd you turn off that show?" Sasuke demanded, wrenching around to squint in disbelief at L's nonchalance. "I want to see what happens to the pretty lady! What if the hitman kills her?"

L scoffed at the very prospect. "I don't like watching these cheaply made, foolish programs. Honestly... if Kojitan is supposedly the detective of Nibi City, why in the world would he put himself in a position like that? And if he was on a case to find the hitman, why was he strolling through the park with his wife, having no idea what was about to happen _whatsoever_, even though he knew exactly that all the murders had happened at night in that park? Furthermore, there were so many signs of the hitman's presence that I stopped counting. Kojitan is no detective," he finished confidently.

Sasuke frowned, a crease forming in his smooth brow as he attempted to find a purpose in L's speech. He shortly abandoned the pursuit of an answer and simply leaned back into the overstuffed pillow, hugging the plush dinosaur against the curve of his neck. He was not keen on the thick silence, wishing to have at least some manner of noise in the small apartment to distract him. The steady buzz of the heating unit was too gentle to focus on, and the clicking sound of L gnawing at his thumbnail was little more than obnoxious.

Exhaling sleepily against the side of his dinosaur, Sasuke wriggled further back into the warmth of the pillow and let himself relax in the feeling of clean-smelling, crisply cool sheets. He distinctly remember the soothing clatter made by the bamboo wind chimes outside his bedroom window at the Uchiha mansion, and he lusted after the calming noise. But rather than keep awake and bemoan the dull quietness of his environment, he decided to fall asleep as soon as L left the room. It made him uncomfortable to consider being vulnerable under L's unwavering scrutiny––even knowing that he was being carefully watched at present caused a certain uneasiness to swell in his stomach. He remained motionless, scarcely daring to let his chest rise and fall as he breathed.

"I'd like you to sleep well tonight, Sasuke-chan," L finally announced, startling Sasuke into full awareness. "We need to get an early start in the morning, and if you are not rested, it'll be a chore bringing you along. You and I both need to be alert and ready to pick apart each piece of this predicament that we can. So get under the covers, and if you need anything, I'll be in my office. Good night," he stiffly concluded, and before Sasuke could reply, L lightly stood from his perch on the arm of the sofa.

"You... you, um, aren't going to leave before I wake up, are you, Ryuzaki-san?" Sasuke timidly wondered. He wrinkled the hem of his baggy nightdress with his fingers, staring down at the worn cotton fabric as L knelt beside the wall to turn off the small lamp.

"I said I'll be in my office, and that's where I'll be until the morning," L promised, though his tone suggested that he was both annoyed and surprised at Sasuke's shy question. Standing up, barely visible in the blue light that radiated from the computer system in the next room, he padded to the window and adjusted the plastic shade. The cold air pressed against L's hands, and after a moment's pondering, he crouched to twist the knob of the clumsy heating unit. The machine sputtered before sending out a pleasant wave of warmth, and without another word, L ambled into the chilled confines of his office, closing the door behind him.

Perplexed by this behavior, Sasuke continued to stare at the rumpled curtains that fluttered in the blowing breeze of the heater. His cheeks flushed as an unanticipated current of indignation slid through his chest, but he quickly turned from the confusing emotion. He felt groggy, despite the time being only a half hour later than he normally was put to bed; rolling to rest on his side, he exhaled into the crumpled pillow and let weariness prod his mind into dullness.

* * *

If L could think fluidly and accurately in the noisy, humming, clouded atmosphere of a crowded restaurant, then his intelligence easily quadrupled in quantity when he settled comfortably in the swivel desk chair inside his office. He lifted his legs over the cushioned seat, gratefully pressing his palms to his knees and hooking his toes over the edge of the seat.

Eagerly, he leaned over the cluttered desk, pushing aside a hefty stack of manila envelopes to gain access to the small microphone that protruded from the side of his thin laptop computer. His practiced fingers effortlessly found the switch to activate the instrument, and with a soft buzz, the computer screen flashed to life. A blank whiteness spread over the display, and a large, fancy 'W' pixellated into view.

"Watari," L murmured, drawing the bud of the microphone closer to his mouth and lowering his voice. "Watari, I'm alone. I'd like to hear whatever information you've uncovered on the surviving members of the Uchiha family."

"Excellent timing, Ryuzaki," Watari commented, his own voice rattling clearly from the miniature box speaker. "I just finished printing out the lists. I successfully discovered quite a bit of information about the people of the clan and the clan itself. Its history with Konoha and the rest of Japan is quite interesting––I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty to do a bit of sleuthing myself."

L immediately detected the trace of humor in Watari's tone. "Of course I don't mind. Could you explain the situation to me while you fax the lists?"

L impatiently pressed his thumb to his lips, watching the fax machine with a steely, unwavering gaze. It took only moments before the device whirred, a green light blinking to alert an incoming message. Slowly, a sheet of paper began to peel from the machine, and L hastened to stretch over the back of his chair, nimbly plucking the paper free.

"Okay, I've received them," he announced, twisting back into his former position. His eyes became glazed with concentration as he studied, the reflection of the computer screen glistening in the blackness of his pupils.

"Good. Now, as for what I've learned..." There was a barely audible shuffling sound, and L knew that Watari was shifting through his belongings in search of some detailed graph or chart.

"Here it is––I had paid a visit to the genetic research center, and I managed to arrest a copy that has the names of every Uchiha registered by the government. After carefully combining the total deaths and subtracting each one from the list, it is confirmed that there are only three Uchiha in existence, as had been suspected."

"Can you tell me the names?" L requested, scanning his duplicate of the Uchiha registrations.

Watari cleared his throat before replying, signaling that he was preparing for a lengthy discussion on this particular subject. "The first, as Matsuda-san has told you earlier, is an elderly gentleman by the name of Uchiha Madara. He first went missing at the age of twenty, and has not been seen since then. His brother is deceased, and if I'm correct, it seems that Madara had something to do with the founding of Konoha itself."

"Hm," L grunted, too enthralled in processing this data to give an answer of any substance. "Continue."

"The next-youngest survivor is one fourteen year old teenager, named Itachi. From what I know, he was considered to be a prodigy, especially in the supernatural abilities that the Uchiha were famed for. He had already obtained the Sharingan at the age of eight."

"Sharingan?" L echoed curiously.

"I did a quick study on the Jutsu Arts that the Uchiha delved in," Watari informed. "They were all naturally adept at using fire in odd ways. Using Chak'ra––their name for some strange supernatural force––they were capable of even projecting flames from inside their bodies. That all ties in with the Sharingan––once an Uchiha reached a certain age, they awakened a sort of talent that allowed them to see and predict several seconds or even minutes into the future, and also to manipulate the senses of others in illusions and distortions of reality. All Uchiha had that trait, so it was a kind of mark that proved their bloodline."

"So these Uchiha were really into dark arts and magic?" L assumed.

"It appears that way," Watari confirmed. "But in the time of Ninja, when the Uchiha clan was first established, that was not unusual. As long as one chose to become a Ninja, he was trained into being skillful with magic spells of all sorts."

"That's something that I've heard before," L admitted, "but I had never gone into depth in reading about it. That information is not irrelevant, though––if the Uchiha are able to use dark arts and distort reality, then that would aid them greatly in large-scale murders."

"Ryuzaki...," Watari began slowly. "Are you considering that one of the Uchiha may have been the murderer?"

"Of course I don't immediately think that," L protested calmly. "But indeed there is always a chance of the highly unlikely happening. There is still much to learn about this case before I make any solid assumptions, though."

"I know I shouldn't wonder about this just yet," Watari cautiously started to ask, "but, Ryuzaki, is there any chance of the massacre having been done by Kira?"

At this unanticipated question, L frowned, the bridge of his nose crinkling as his eyes squinted. He silently pondered, his mind fluently processing everything that he had just heard. But little made true sense to him just yet.

"There is no way to know for sure," L finally said, digging his teeth into his fingernail. "It would be difficult to accuse anyone now. If the only survivors are either missing, a teenager, or a little child, then there's no way... but please, Watari, give me what you know about Uchiha Sasuke."

Accustomed to the frequent sudden changes in L's moods, Watari obeyed, the sound of his bent, withered fingers riffling through papers crackling through the speakers.

"Uchiha Sasuke," the man read dutifully. "Turned eight years old last July. Apparently he lived with his mother, father, and older brother––and the brother's name was Itachi."

"The survivor?" L quickly asked.

"Yes," Watari confirmed. "And Sasuke was also talented with using fire arts, as his brother was. But looking at the records of his grade school work, it seems that he was at the bottom of his class. He had high potential, but never applied himself to anything except fire magic. He was, though, the head of the rookie class in the Konoha Ninja Academy. And it also seems that one of his greatest ambitions was to join in the police force following his father's career choice."

"His father was a policeman?" L sharply interjected.

And just through analyzing that simple tart statement, Watari knew exactly why Yagami Soichiro thought of L as being cold toward Sasuke. Was it possible that the young Uchiha reminded L of his deceased Kira suspect, Light? Even though Sasuke's personality had barely shown, he already presented himself as a living image of Yagami Light to L. Watari couldn't figure out how, but he had been acquainted with L for long enough to be certain of some aspects of his character.

"Ryuzaki, are you sure that you don't want to place the boy in a home nearby?" Watari carefully suggested. "That way you won't be saddled with the responsibility of caring for him, but he will be close to your hotels if you need him."

"Of course I couldn't do that," L brusquely answered. "Sasuke-chan has already showed that he is clingy. Before I turned off the nightlight, he told me that he was afraid I would be gone in the morning, leaving him alone."

"It's only natural," Watari assured gently. "And no one is expecting you to suddenly know how to interact with children. But please, and this all depends on the case––make sure you're kind to him."

"Why are you so interested in Sasuke-chan so suddenly?" L dourly inquired. He had contacted Watari solely for the purpose of obtaining information, not to have a conversation about a mere orphan.

"Ryuzaki, why don't you listen," Watari kindly offered. "You know that, for a long time, I dealt with children at Wammy's House. Exceptional children, and smart enough to hide most of their feelings from their authorities. But there was always someone who was lonely enough to tell you. And it was pitiful––I've heard many stories about children who witnessed the death of their parents. Some were given up. And you, Ryuzaki, must know just as well as they do how lonesome it is being without a family."

L stared emptily down at his desk, idly resting his chin on the shelf of his knees. He remained that way for several long minutes, listening to his own steady inhales and exhales. At last, he spoke, and in an apologetic tone.

"I'm sorry, Watari."

"You needn't be," the elder soothed, and L was instantly comforted. "Nobody expects you to be a parent figure. I don't think you should be, anyhow. But look, now––this may sound like something from a cheap movie, but I will tell you anyway. Sasuke isn't counting on you, Ryuzaki."

"Pardon?" L could scarcely believe that Watari had said so. After so much discussion, Watari was meaning to tell him that Sasuke was _not _dependent on him?

"That's right. Sasuke doesn't know you, Ryuzaki, but even though he does know that you are the greatest chance for solving this case, he can't get himself to admit it. He doesn't want you to be his only hope. You're good at digging into minds, so put yourself in Sasuke's mind. He's a little boy, and suddenly, his friends and family are gone. He can't figure out what happened to them, and all he can get is that he is in a new home, with new people, and trying to settle into a whole different routine.

"That's stressful for anyone, and even more so for a child. So... Ryuzaki, I'm not asking you this as your elder, but as your trusted guide. Love Sasuke while you can. It will do you good."

* * *

**Author's Note: **My brain is dead. L and Sasuke. Father and son. Kind of. No homo. Expect some JimShipping from me next time. Just a warning.


End file.
